What happened to Texas kids seized under new meth law?

[madmusic]

Sometimes, the unasked questions are the most important ones. Like the one in the headline to this post.

Continuing with analysis from the Texas House Law Enforcement Committee interim report (pdf), another "charge" to the committee was to monitor the implementation of HB 164, Texas anti-meth law passed in 2005 that authorized the state to take custody of children seized near meth labs and required consumers to show ID and sign for pseudoephedrine products (like cold tablets) that are used to make homemade meth.

I was disappointed the committee failed to focus at all in its report on the most important aspect of this bill: What happened to the children seized as a result of this new law? Were they later returned to their parents? Did they enter the foster care system? Since HB 164 provided no new or specialized resources for these chidren, do we know whether they received counseling and support needed by a child traumatized by removal from their family? None of these questions are discussed in the report - we don't even know how many children were seized under the new law - 10, 50, 100, 500, quien sabe?

Did anybody see 60 Minutes' http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/14/60minutes/main2269159.shtml">segment on foster children who were taken away from their parents last night? Here's the http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?id=2274699n">video. What happens psychologically to children under such circumstances really can't be understood http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2005/07/go-kids.html">unless you've witnessed it. These kids are psychically brutalized then basically thrown away. And the Law Enforcement Committee's report reflects that - nobody even looked to see what happened to them.

more: http://gritsforbreakfast.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-happened-to-texas-kids-seized.html

I'll never believe the "for the children" meme is more than an attack on the Bill of Rights until it is for ALL the children.

[Mythsaje]

1. As bad as some drug homes can be for children,

I'm not sure the foster care system is one hell of a lot better. The whole damn system is a major mind-fuck.

[hobbit709]

2. You're right about that

My wife works in a shelter for kids and the ones that have through the system are usually more screwed up than the others.

[acmejack]

4. The Texas System is like every other State run system

a disgrace, saved from being the worst in the Nation only by the existence of Missisippi. Thank God for Haley Barbour...

[mntleo2]

3. I Can Relate In Another Way

I am raising my grand niece, who at 2 months old was taken from her home because her parents were meth and crack addicts. She is with family and very loved. Now these screwed DSHS people want to give the baby to her father ~ after being caught and jailed for selling the stuff. He is supposedly in remission, but the State knows that there is a 90% recidivism rate with meth and crack addiction. They also know how these people go to social service agencies and laugh their asses off because they duped their pee tests. The feds don't care. They are too scared of being sued and though we pay tax dollars to protect kids, what is happening now is that we are paying the State to lawyer themselves up to protect themselves and their jobs. It is sad what I saw in court. It was disgusting. This innocent little girl will now go to his father and be his 'bitch" so he can collect state money for her. I am heart broken!

Cat In Seattle

[madmusic]

5. You lost me, Cat....

Maybe I'm being dense (happens a lot) but I don't understand. Are they clean now? Wouldn't that be best for the child?

edit typo

[mntleo2]

6. No, Just Know How To Work The System

...Not all parents deserve to have their kids. This man is almost 40 years old, and fathered this child with my niece while living on the street as a crack and meth addict and just got out of drug jail for dealing (mother is mentally ill and has drug issues as well). He has deserted three other children he fathered. Now he has gotten an "instant family" a girl barely past 20 with two illegitimate kids of her own and a record herself who is dumb enough to be his "fuck nanny." She will get tired of it ~ especially after she realizes that, not only has he infected her with Hep C, thanks to him, she will be HIV positive as well and no other man will want her. She will now be "skanky" for the rest of her life ~ and believe me HIV infected women do not live long because the drugs work better for men not so much for women. But ohhhh, he is her FATHER. Yeah right, he sticks his HIV/HEPC thing any place he can into anything he can and this gives him some privilege? I am not making any of this up. Yet the State thinks this is a better place to send an innocent child rather then let her be with me, who is the only mother she's known and who anyone would tell you is loved to pieces. I am stable, I have never had a drug, alcohol or criminal problem, I have raised 4 kids and I at least know what I am doing.

Sound like this baby is going to the Brady Bunch to you?

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle